Video games are a great way to bring our learners into the media center! Good games spark interest and creativity. Where better for this to occur than in the most media-rich environment in our schools? Here are resources from the presentation:

Sources to Explore:

Videos to Watch:

Here are videos on or related to the subject of games in the classroom that you should watch:

James Gee – Video Games 101

Jane McGonigal – Video Games Can Make A Better World Stuart Brown on Serious Play Tom Chatfield – 7 Ways Games Reward the Brain CNN Future Summit (especially watch the part by Nick Yee who’s done incredible research on the psychology of gaming) From The Kids: Those are the adults, but you also need to hear it from the kids! Here’s what they have to say: No Future Left Behind WoWinSchool – Perspectives from Year One of Our Project

Networks to Form:

Here are some places to connect with other educators using games and virtual worlds in the classroom. You are not going it alone, I assure you, and these folks have energy and passion:

Games to Play and Build

Here are some of the games we discussed during question/answer discussions: Minecraft – an amazing, independently developed game out of Sweden. Imagine a virtual world made of individual building blocks (LEGOs) that multiple students can explore and create in together. Very cost effective for schools. Contact me and I can put you in touch with Joel Levin who can offer it at a discounted rate for educators! Lord of the Rings Online – free-to-play (basic) – online roleplay game set in Tolkien’s fantasy world. Dimension-U – The first “educational” game that I’ve seen that actually begins to bridge that gap between “educational” and “real” games. Have students build and develop their own games: Scratch and Squeak – visual programming environments – great for all ages. Gamestar Mechanic – awesome game design system that allows kids to build and share their own Flash-based games. Kodu – a simplified version of Microsoft’s XNA programming environment used to make XBox and Windows Mobile.

Play video games to help you learn. Video games are not only a lot of fun, but they can be quite educational, too. If you or someone you know is having a hard time learning some concept, look for a game that will help teach it. You will be surprised at just how much a video game can teach you.